KEIZER, Ore. (KATU) — An alleged consignment deal dispute at a Keizer franchise of the toy store Bricks and Minifigs sparked a national uproar online and is now the subject of numerous lawsuits.
It began as an alleged business arrangement between Bryan Mansell, the owner of a LEGO collection worth roughly $200,000, and Chrystal Law, the former franchise owner.
The controversy gained national attention after YouTuber Ben “Reckless Ben” Schneider published videos alleging Bricks and Minifigs and its subsequent franchise owners improperly retained control of inventory belonging to the collection.
The videos have garnered millions of views and sparked widespread discussion online.
Valuable LEGO Collection Unaccounted For
KATU spoke with Mansell on May 28th, but he declined to comment on the story.
Mansell and his father spent years building what they describe as a rare and valuable Star Wars LEGO collection worth roughly $200,000.
In 2023, Mansell entered into a consignment agreement with then-Keizer Bricks and Minifigs owner Chrystal Law.
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Under the agreement, the store would sell items from the collection and split the proceeds, while ownership of any unsold inventory would remain with Mansell.
The collection was publicly displayed at the store during a promotional event and was marketed as “one of the largest private Star Wars LEGO collections in the region” in a social media post.
The arrangement allegedly continued until late 2024, when Bricks and Minifigs corporate says it terminated Law’s franchise agreement and transferred the store to franchise owners Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson.
What Is Alleged in the Video?
In a series of videos, Schneider alleges Bricks & Minifigs corporate and the franchise’s new ownership knowingly took control of inventory belonging to the Mansell family when the Keizer store changed hands in November 2024.
He points to security camera footage in which Law is heard discussing unpaid consignment inventory during the transition and argues that company representatives were put on notice that the collection belonged to a third party.
Schneider further alleges the company later refused to allow Mansell to inspect inventory, provide a full accounting of the collection, or return items he claims remained unsold.
Schneider also argues that the collection was effectively converted into company-controlled inventory after the franchise takeover.
Throughout the videos, he alleges corporate officials, the incoming franchise owners, and others knew the collection existed, took possession of it, and either sold, transferred, or otherwise failed to account for a substantial portion of it.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and multiple lawsuits remain ongoing.
Bricks & Minifigs corporate announced Thursday that the Keizer location will be permanently closed. (KATU)
Company Sues Over Alleged Harassment Campaign
On May 27, Bricks and Minifigs, along with the current owners of the Salem-area franchise, filed a lawsuit in Utah against Schneider, Mansell, and others.
The company alleges the defendants engaged in a coordinated campaign of defamation, harassment, trespassing, and extortion designed to pressure Bricks and Minifigs into paying money it did not owe.
In court filings, Bricks and Minifigs argues the dispute over the collection was a private agreement between Mansell and former franchise owner Chrystal Law that corporate leadership neither approved nor knew about.
The company alleges that Law concealed details of the arrangement, underreported sales, and underpaid Mansell.
Bricks and Minifigs says it lawfully terminated the franchise agreement and found little Star Wars LEGO inventory remaining when it repossessed the store in November 2024.
In a news release on Thursday, the company announced that it is permanently closing its Keizer store and has mutually agreed to part ways with the Keizer franchise owners, Brandon Best and Joshua Johnson.
Best was also the owner of the Bricks & Minifigs franchise in Eugene. McNeff says he is no longer the owner of that store either.
The company said an internal investigation uncovered what it described as “significant evidence of gross negligence” involving both the store’s previous operation under Law and recordkeeping issues during the ownership transition.
The company said the findings contributed to its decision to sever ties with the current franchise owners.
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According to the company, its investigation uncovered three separate sets of records related to the collection that allegedly contained discrepancies.
Bricks & Minifigs further claims that internal point-of-sale data show more than $52,000 in items from the collection were sold while the store was operated by Law.
McNeff also said the company’s investigation found evidence that more than half of the collection had already been sold before the store changed hands in November 2024.
The company said it has again reached out to Mansell and offered to review the records with him, return any inventory that can be identified as his, and compensate him for inventory that cannot be accounted for.
Bricks & Minifigs also said it is prepared to discuss removing Mansell from its lawsuit as part of a potential resolution.
“We continue our offer to sit down with you and are prepared to discuss dropping the lawsuit against you,” said Bricks & Minifigs CEO Ammon McNeff in the statement. “Let’s go through the spreadsheets and POS data together and ensure you are made whole monetarily.”
Former Franchise Owner Challenges Company’s Account
Law and her husband, Benjamin Gorman, dispute Bricks and Minifigs’ version of events.
In March, Law and her company filed a separate lawsuit against Bricks and Minifigs corporate, alleging the company wrongfully terminated the franchise agreement and improperly took control of the Salem-area store and its assets.
“In November 2024, our lives were turned upside down when the corporate franchisor behind our Bricks and Minifigs store in Keizer, Oregon, abruptly seized our business, changed the locks, confiscated our inventory, and publicly accused us of theft,” said Law in a statement on GoFundMe. “After more than a year of trying to resolve this privately and professionally with corporate leadership, we were left with no choice but to file a lawsuit.”
In an online statement, Law and Gorman alleged that Bricks and Minifigs corporate was aware of the consignment arrangement and acknowledged the collection when the store changed hands.
They also contend corporate representatives took control of the business, knowing inventory belonging to Mansell remained tied to the store.
Law and Gorman further allege that Bricks and Minifigs have attempted to shift responsibility for the dispute onto them while refusing to resolve the matter fairly.
They say they intend to continue pursuing their claims in court.
“We are disappointed that Bricks & Minifigs corporate continues to take steps that we believe are intended to delay the process and discourage us from speaking publicly,” said Law.
An alleged consignment deal dispute at a Keizer franchise of the toy store Bricks and Minifigs sparked a national uproar online and is now the subject of numerous lawsuits. (FILE)
YouTubers Arrested During Investigation
As Schneider’s investigation gained national attention, it also led to legal trouble in Utah, where Bricks and Minifigs is headquartered.
Schneider was arrested on March 11, 2026, after police accused him of repeatedly targeting the home of a Bricks & Minifigs employee and franchise owner while investigating the LEGO collection dispute.
Prosecutors later filed misdemeanor charges, including stalking, targeted residential picketing, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct.
Police allege Schneider and others engaged in a pattern of conduct directed at company officials and their families.
Schneider has disputed those allegations, arguing in his videos that his actions were part of an effort to investigate what happened to the Mansell family’s collection and to serve legal documents related to the dispute.
The criminal case in Utah remains separate from the ongoing civil lawsuits involving the Salem-area franchise and the disputed LEGO collection.
KATU reached out to Schneider for comment on this article and has yet to hear back.
